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Arsenal should take a gamble on Yann M'Vila before someone else does

The French midfielder has had more than his fair share of off the pitch trouble, but he is still one of the most talented young midfielders in Europe, and would complement Arsene Wenger's side perfectly.

Yann M'Vila seemed destined to be an Arsenal player from a very young age, with rumours about a move to the Emirates beginning before he left his teens. As another window comes around, the one player every Arsenal fans knows his side will be linked with is M'Vila, and this January has proved no different.

However the situation is now very different. In previous years Rennes have been able to quote £16 million as the minimum price for their talented midfielder, but there has been speculation M'Vila could go for as little as £8 million this month.

This drop is largely down to the players off the pitch indiscretions, M'Vila is banned from international matches until 2014 after being caught partying whilst on U21 duty, and there have been reports of similar antics at Rennes. When teams were bidding for M'Vila in the past they were simply trying to sign one of the best midfield prospects in Europe, now they know they will be dealing with plenty of baggage.

This hasn't stopped interest in the player, and M'Vila himself looks open to a move this January. QPR and Zenit St Petersburg have both come into the race for the player, and Tottenham Hotspur could rekindle their summer interest if a bargain is to be had. But it is Arsenal who should be going in strongest for the player, as both they and M'Vila would benefit most from this move.

M'Vila is the ideal defensive midfielder for their system, as he is not only an effective destroyer, but a hugely accomplished passer of the ball. He is mobile, strong and technically adept - a complete midfielder. Arsenal's reliance on the injury prone Abou Diaby has cost them again this season, and it must be time to be looking at other solutions in that area. At £8 million, M'Vila would be an incredible bargain if Arsenal could ensure he behaved off the pitch.

This is another reason why Arsenal are the best choice for the player. Moving to a club of their size it would be clear to M'Vila that he was being given a chance to impress at the highest level. Any shenanigans off the pitch simply wouldn't be tolerated and, unlike perhaps at Rennes, he would be in a midfield with several players who are more accomplished than him, which might give a greater sense of perspective to M'Vila.

M'Vila's form has dipped a little over the past year, but a couple of impressive displays just before Christmas have demonstrated more of the talent he clearly has. Arsenal need a player like M'Vila in their side and M'Vila needs to move to a team like Arsenal, this move could be perfect for all parties.

Nick Harris

I'm Nick Harris, Spurs fan and sports writer. Alongside HITC, I'm the founder, editor, writer, and fan of footballspirals.com and can be found on Twitter - @nicksharris. When I'm not watching sport I'm usually drinking coffee and checking updates on my phone in an antisocial manner.